Taylor of the Faint Smile
by Wunwun
Summary: Annette was not the only one in the car during the crash. Taylor was too. Another Taylor, another trigger, another side. Follow Taylor as she deals with Earth's Bet destiny as one of the "Good" guys.
1. Prologue

**Taylor of the Faint Smile**

A worm/claymore crossover

 **AN at the bottom**

 **Prologue**

"Mooom, why couldn't I just have stayed with Emma? I really don't want to visit Gram."

"Little Owl, you will be going to highschool. Gram just wanted to see you before you started the next stage of your life. She doesn't see you much so be nice, okay?"

The end of summer break was nearing, and Taylor would rather spent these last days with Emma, her best friend. Her mother on the other hand, wanted to visit Taylor's grandmother, for such visits were few, and far inbetween. Taylor did not want to, but she was still a minor, so it did not matter.

What did matter, was the road they were driving. The wooded hills outside of Brockton were difficult to drive, courtesy of curving asphalt and the walls of pines at the sides of the road.

It had been smooth sailing since they left the suburbs of Brockton, the road empty as normal for an early evening, far from any main road.

As Taylor opened her mouth for another argument, a sixteen wheeled monstrosity barreled around the following turn. The truck was not a normal one, it tinkertech nature evident by the overly large wheels, the enormous exhaust pipes belching thick clouds of black smoke.

Trying to evade the abomination racing towards them, Annette turned the wheel, but even a car can only turn so fast.

With a sickening crunch, the truck plowed through the car, throwing it of the road.

Rolling down the hill, the vehicle came to a stop against a pine tree, splintering bark.

After a few moments of silence, Taylor's voice spoke up, fear breaking through.

"Mom?"

Receiving no answer, she asked again, in denial of truth.

"Mom?"

Not a single sound from her mother, but tears enough from her eyes. Her breathing became hitched, sobbing and crying turning into a high pitched whine.

And then she blacked out.

* * *

With a jerk she woke up, disoriented and dazed. Her arms moved with a mind of their own, slowly pulling her out the wreckage of the car.

Finding footing she stood up, her legs shivering and one of her hands searching support by one of the trees.

 _This is a dream_

It was a simple thought, easy for those that did not understood what they saw, or could, _would_ , not accept the reality they found themselves in. It was a coping mechanism, found in every human.

Taylor's concussing held her mind in a tight grip, not leaving much room for rational thought, and so she stumbled away, deeper the woods in, walking away from the wreckage, and the road.

* * *

After hours of stumbling through the dark woods, dawn broke, and the sun tried to poke some holes through the canopy. One of those rays fell through an open spot in the woods, its space being taken by a single, old log cabin.

It was an old building, it's thick logs showing signs of wear, and the roof was covered in moss.

She was lucky, finding the single log cabin in the woods. There was a car standing beside it, so she probably would find someone.

The door looked old, and was probably without lock. If there was anyone inside, that person could possibly help. If not, she would find some shelter at least.

The door opened with ease, its hinges oiled and well-maintained. While the outside of the building was old, the inside was all but. Dark grey tiles lined the floor, while the walls were painted white. Taking up the centre of the room was hospital bed, and a bit to the side stood a desk.

It looked like a doctor's practice. And the Doctor was present.

A woman of West-African descent was sitting behind the desk, wearing a lab coat and looking up from the files she was perusing.

Astonishment clear on her face, she started to speak, but she did not address Taylor.

"Doormaker, could you please send Custodian over here? I think we have a situation."

Taylor did not understand what she said, and did not care, for her wounds and fatigue were taking their toll at last. A fleeting feeling of distress raced through her mind, before she fell to the floor. She was out before her head touched the floor.

* * *

"Clairvoyant, I thought you were supervising the operational security of the facility I was using to administer one of the vials. Why was a teenaged girl capable of sneaking through?."

It was a simple question. It had a simple answer. Every single one of Cauldrons members that was present knew the answer to that question. It did not mean that they liked the answer.

"Some sort of Stranger rating"

"Evidently. The thing I want to know is which other ratings she has. She only collapsed after a night's march, while wounded, through fairly impassable terrain. We are currently pumping her full of horse-grade muscle relaxants and enough sleeping aids to supply a small elder's home."

Doctor Mother's frustrations were audible through her words, suppressing the rest of cauldron into silence.

A few moments passed, before someone gathered enough courage to speak up.

"She must either have a Brute or a Mover rating. Possibly both. 60 km through forested terrain is no joke, even in top condition."

Silence fell again, with most members looking down or up, but not one of them wanted to meet the Doctor's eyes.

 _So much power, and yet so little._

With no-one willing to take point, the good Doctor opened her mouth.

"How do we deal with this? With her Stranger ability and her Brute rating, it is a matter of time before she breaks out. We need to act before she is able to compromise our entire operation.

The question is, how do we remove her from the equation? She is not monstrous enough to use Case 53, so Eidolon? Alexandria? Are you willing to do what it takes?"

She expected no objection, for both heroes had done far worse things than kill an innocent girl for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. After all, all they did was for the greater good.

 _I merely have to wait, the silence is enough pressure to make one of them volunteer._

To her surprise, it was not one of the triumvirate that answered, but Contessa.

"I can use her."

Eyebrows rose around the table with that statement. Continuing, Contessa convinced Cauldron.

"My power rates her as fairly capable, and she feels like a thinking multi-tool, to be used at any step of the path. She can be of use to influence the cape scene from another angle or carry out a mission we otherwise would have to spend favors on, if we can ensure her loyalty. And that is something I can do."

Looking around the table, Doctor Mother searched for opposition towards Contessa's plan.

"It seems no-one is opposed, so this will be our course of action. Contessa, you are responsible for our newest member. Her loyalty, training, missions and everything else, is your job. You can send her on missions as you like, as long as you warn the others about her objective, and as long she is capable of executing missions for Cauldron."

A single nod of Contessa was all the assurance she needed.

"Then this meeting has ended. You are dismissed."

* * *

The beeping of the heart monitor was the first thing she noticed.

The clean, hospital smell of antiseptic came second.

Third was the suited woman at her side.

As she turned her head to get a better look, the woman started to speak.

"Finally awake. You'll probably have a lot of questions, but let me tell my story and I'll promise most of them will be answered. Afterwards, you can ask anything that hasn't come up yet. Okay?"

Taylor' slow nod was the only answer Contessa needed.

"You had an accident. You triggered. You almost died. We saved your life. You woke up here. You have been out of it for a few days. Anything else?"

Taylor's eyes narrowed, not being satisfied with the information provided.

"There is something you aren't telling me. What happened to mom?"

In the moment before any spoken answer came, Taylor already knew the truth. It laid in the noticeable swallow, the movement of the woman's hands, her entire body language.

 _Nothing good_

"She died in the car crash. Your father, learning of your mother's demise and your disappearance into the wilds, has taken his own life. My condolences."

The silence that fell was strangely lacking. Lacking tears, sobs or even emotion. The room lacked any reaction from Taylor.

So Contessa waited.

And she waited.

And she waited.

Nothing came, so Contessa broke the silence.

"The organisation I work for would like to employ your talents. We work out the public view to ensure the survival of the human race."

No reaction.

"We liason between the major parahuman factions on earth. We push the Protectorate to organise the Endbringer battles"

No reaction.

"Amongst our members, we can count the likes of Eidolon and Alexandria. We create parahumans to keep the Heroes' roster big enough to battle major threats."

No reaction. Oh well, better drop every bomb in a single conversation.

"When, and _When_ , not _If_ , Scion goes mad, it will mean the Apocalypse and possibly the end of the Human Race."

That got a reaction.

"What?"

* * *

 **AN:**

To the people who just read the 1500 word prologue, thank you for reading. Please leave your criticisms in a review. I'll read them all, but I can't promise I'll answer them all.

Before you write anything I would like to offer you some information. English isn't my first language, nor my second, so any differences between American and British English just go above my head. You should also feel free to correct any error find.

Once again, thank you for reading.

Wunwun

 **EDIT** : v1.01, minor spelling mistakes rectified, some formatting cleaned up


	2. Chapter 1

**Taylor of the Faint Smile**

A worm/claymore crossover

 **AN at the bottom**

 **Chapter 1**

It was weird feeling, seeing the physical transformation one underwent with training and devotion to bettering oneself. Weirder were the changes that her powers brought her, with specks of gold finding their way into her irises, and strands of wheat blond hair on her hairbrush after a good shower.

It did not matter, because after all that had happened, she, Taylor Hebert, was a parahuman.

A _Heroic_ one. Even if both of her parents were death, she would make them proud.

The first week after the accident was spent in revalidation, which went remarkably quick. Her second and third week were dedicated to building muscle and training. Training that payed off unusually quick, she would win a medal in the heptathlon, would she participate.

And now she stood in a boxing ring, with in the opposite corner the one and only Alexandria.

"I assume you have been taught the basics of fighting? How to throw a punch? Footwork?"

"Y-Yes I have. But I haven't learned any special techniques yet"

"Those techniques don't matter at the moment. It is better to be good at the basics than mediocre at the special tricks. Now assume position."

Alexandria brought her fists, wrapped in sporting tape, up and so did Taylor.

* * *

The room was one that could be taken straight from the higher echelons of the business world, the steel-and-glass table plucked right from a boardroom, and the chairs made from black leather on steel frames.

"So, Alexandria, Contessa. Both of you have worked with or newest member. How would you classify her?"

Both women shared a look, and Alexandria began.

"Mover Three to start. She is capable of moving faster than even the most trained athletes. A Brute rating is also applicable, with her punches packing enough force to crack stone, and she is capable of taking more than she dishes out. With a bit of regeneration to boot"

"Shall I write Brute Three?"

"Take five instead. She also has a form of precognition or sensing. Or she is just extremely talented in martial arts, but that is something I doubt. Could you shed some light Contessa?"

Contessa looked up, a sigh escaping.

"You can put Trump, question mark on the list."

Doctor Mother's, and everyone else's eyebrows rose.

"That is a serious rating. Why do you think that?"

"The Path to Victory works on her, and yet it doesn't. It flickers for a bit, and then it stays on for a few hours and then it flickers again. That is the first incident, insofar you can call a continuous glitching a single incident.

After her training with Alexandria, she came to me and said she suspected a sensing capability. That was when I started viewing her as more than a tool.

So we started experimenting, and let me tell you, the results are _very_ interesting.

To make a long story short, she has self centered power nullification. She claims to sense other parahumans and usage of their powers. She is capable of strengthening herself with, what she says, ' is a burning fire inside her veins'.

And something is there,because when she claims she uses it, the veins around her eyes become more pronounced. She becomes faster, and stronger when she uses it. I suspect that her regeneration is also boosted."

It was silent for a moment, with everyone pondering the new information.

For the first time, Eidolon spoke up about the matter.

"That is quite the change. Do you think she can be of use during the end?"

They all knew what he meant, for it was the entire purpose of their organisation.

"With more experience, she would of Alexandria's calibre at least. The question is, how do she gets that experience, without losing her towards an S-rank or something like that. She is powerful, but towards someone like Lung, Ash Beast or The Sleeper, she will lose, because while there is potential in her, it is not realised yet."

"Then what do you propose, Contessa?"

"Throw her in the deep end. S Ranks are too much, but there are enough A Ranks to deploy her against. I say that her first mission is to send her against the Doge."

A frown appeared on Eidolon's face.

"The Doge? I don't know him."

"An Italian criminal cape. He has Venice and the surrounding mainland in his hands. He is a low A-rank, and he is about to gain a dominant position over the other Italian gangs. When he does, there will be a forced peace, which means less parahuman battles and thus less new triggers. If he is terminated, North Italy, and by extension the coasts of the Adriatic Sea will remain in a state of flux."

Doctor Mother looked around, receiving nods from all present members.

"Then that is what she will be ordered to do."

* * *

The door opened, and Taylor entered, metal plated boots clanking with every step.

She halted at the table, with seat and eye both turned towards her.

She was nervous. She knew, and she knew that the others knew. It did not matter much, for the silence was quickly broken by Contessa.

"Taylor, how good of you to join us. While you have made leaps of progress, you aren't a full member yet. There is a mission to complete first, one you should think of as a final exam."

A soundless nod was the only answer, before Contessa continued.

"You will neutralise an A ranked villain, named 'The Doge'. He is about to take full control of the Italian underworld. If he does, the Italian government will not be capable of standing up to him."

"I'll do it."

Taylor took the envelope that Contessa held out towards her.

"Good. Here is a folder with verified information. Read it and if you feel ready, call upon Doormaker to deliver you to Italy. We expect his head at the end of the week. Dismissed."

A last nod, before she turned and strode out of the room.

* * *

Taylor's quarters in the base were large, but not decadently so. The apartment she resided in, was divided in three rooms. Entering from the hallway, one would find themselves in a quite spacious room, with a desk, cupboard and a bookshelf taking up a single wall, with a kitchenette in the opposite corner. The other door in the room, would lead to a bedroom, with a kingsize bed taking up the centre, and a door to the bathroom off to the side.

Sitting in front of her desk, Taylor was perusing the information folder, a map of the Italian peninsula open on her laptop.

It was kind of terrifying, her first mission. The Doge too, was terrifying, his power being manipulation of his own bodily fluids. The worst part was that the entire situation was not in her favor. Her target knew the city very good, since he lived there, and it would be filled with his minions. She on the other hand, would be going in almost blind.

And while she was certain she would beat him in hand-to-hand or any other form of melee combat, she first had to get into that range, and he was, looking over the reports, a master of mid range combat.

She had already thought out a plan; taking a sniper rifle with her from the base, she would simply shoot him before he had any chance to find cover or to retaliate in any shape or form.

While a month before it would be impossible for her to pull the trigger, now she had no such compunctions left, not since Contessa had helped her of the fear of taking a life.

They had started small, with a mouse, moving up and up, before ending with a junkie, plucked of the streets of a drug riddled neighbourhood from one metropolis or the other.

And with Doge being a hardened criminal, who waterboarded for funsies, it would be no problem to fire that shot.

Deciding she had studied her foe enough, Taylor stood, and made her way towards the armory.

* * *

When hearing the word 'armory', many people think of enormous warehouses filled to the brim with weapons and ammunition. Cauldron' armory was different, for the majority of their members did not need any form of arms.

Taylor did, her oversized two-handed sword hanging from her back, the skirt of overlapping steel plates and the pauldrons being the equipment she had chosen as her standard, with the sniper rifle and a grey-blue cloak tailored towards the mission she was about to execute.

Checking her gear one last time, she sighed, trying to calm the nerves of the unknown. With as much calm she could muster, she spoke up, doing her best to sound loud and clear.

"Doormaker, Door to Italy"

A rectangle, the size of a door, appeared, staying abyssal black for just a moment, before flashing and changing to show the rolling hills and deep blue of the Venetian lagoon.

A deep breath, and she stepped through, ready to fulfill her mission.

 **AN:**

I'm thinking of about 1500 words a chapter. maybe a bit longer in the future.

I hope you found it intresting

Thank you for reading,

\- Wunwun

EDIT: Formatting


	3. Chapter 2

**Taylor of the Faint Smile**

A worm/claymore crossover

 **AN at the bottom**

 **Chapter 2:**

She only breathed out when she was on the other side, the portal quickly closing after her.

Crouching, she surveyed the area, and found herself in the marshlands that edged the lagoon.

In front of her lay Venice, the city of canals, as a pearl in the bay. Clouds obscured the moon, and only the city's lights flickered across the water.

To her left was the railway/highway combination bridge, Venice's only connection to the mainland, and Taylor's route of infiltration.

While the bridge would be watched, it's length prohibited guarding every single metre. It was thus possible for Taylor to make the first part of her trek over the bridge.

Deciding her course of action, she started making her way towards the bridge.

* * *

The first part had not been difficult, for she was light on her feet, and metres were quickly eaten beneath her swift feet.

But now she faced her first obstacle, for she could see the nighttime guard in the distance, the barrel of his assault rifle peeking over his shoulder.

 _So an unpowered mook stands guard huh_

While she was in a good hiding spot, between the concrete barriers separating rail tracks and roadway, the guard had a good oversight over the remaining distance, and it was well lit too.

If it had been dark, she could have crawled closer and rushed the remaining gap, but with the lighting, she would have to blitz about a hundred to a hundred fifty metres, and while fast, she was no Velocity, and the guard would sound the alarm before his certain incapacitation.

 _Bottom side is probably guarded as well, and I'm already topside._

She looked over her current predicament, eyes drifting over the street lamps, and the plans just flowed in.

 _I'm not completely topside, aren't I_

She reverted to a chrouched position, ready to make the jump, a jump she had to make absolutely right, or her cover would be blown.

A single breath, and her parahuman leg muscles worked, propelling her upwards, on the top of the closest street light.

Landing in almost complete silence, she steadied herself, and gauged the presence of a reaction from the guard.

Not seeing any overt signs of notice, Taylor jumped to the next street lamp, the gap, unbridgeable for a normal human, closed with ease by parahuman might, the fiery source of her strength scorching her veins as she again bridged the gap between two street lamps.

Another jump brought upon the pole of the street light closest to the guard, and for a moment, she thought she would have been discovered, for her landing was less than smooth.

Be it luck, or the tiredness of a guard standing for hours, she went undiscovered.

To be on the safe side, Taylor continued until she was far enough, and dropped down, the soft sound of her landing inaudible over the rumble of the waves.

It was only a short walk to the Venice, and so she came ever closer to her objective.

* * *

The first course of action was to move towards the west, in the direction of the port, for every infiltration was carried out alongside a diversion.

For an island like Venice, the harbor would be a good place to start a diversion.

Venice had always been a major cruise port, and while Leviathan ended almost all shipping on the oceans, the enclosed nature of the Mediterranean allowed the local cruise industry to boom, as the world's elites rejoiced in the thing that was most rare.

On paper, it was nothing more than traditional touristic trips, but in reality, the cruises starting in Venice were more lavish, decadent, drug-fueled orgies with the optional child slave (courtesy of the Doge) than sightseeing.

It was big business, and any destruction caused would be extremely painful to the financial side of the villains organisation.

Of course, a dead person does not need any money, but if the incentive wasn't there anymore, his subordinates would be less inclined to pick up where he left off.

A ship was easy to sabotage, with a single, hidden, hole in the hull meaning a lot of problems. Of course, if there was diesel spilled all over the engines, that would be even worse.

The fire hazard of flammable liquid over hot engines and all that.

But those two would bring difficulties later down the line, and then it would be too late. Too late to be directly useful to her current mission that is, for she had no problem ending some of the worst humans on the planet.

 _Fuel floats, doesn't it? And then a timed fuse, and the whole port would be on fire_

It was not the most damaging plan, but the most eye-catching, and thus the best suited towards her needs.

So she set off towards the port's fuelling station.

* * *

As it turns out, infiltrating highly guarded compounds is quite easy when one was a parahuman.

At the moment she was perched upon a roof, counting the steps of the guard below.

When he eventually walked away, she jumped down, and darted towards the edge of the quay, where a few pipes jutted out. Pipes that could only carry fuel.

A swing of her sword, and the first piped was cleaved in half, diesel spewing forth.

Two swings more, and two more pipes were leaking fuel.

Rigging her makeshift detonator, nothing more than the typical phone detonator she made from a scavenged car battery and a disposable phone she had 'liberated' from a shop.

The second burner phone she had obtained in a less than legal manner would be the remote control. A call, and the vibrations of the first phone would connect the positive and negative pole of the car battery via a wire, which in turn would ignite a spark. A spark that would cause an inferno.

The perfect distraction for someone to walk right into an ambush.

* * *

 _Not that much guards inside the city centre, it seems._

Taylor had made her way towards the _Palazzo Ducale_ , where the Doge had taken his residence, with surprisingly little resistance.

 _They probably feel safe with the single guard on the bridge. And who wants to crawl into the Lion's den?_

Of course, the little winding streets of Venice were quite difficult to guard properly.

Add dark alleys and the interspersed canals and one had a security nightmare.

Fortunately, Taylor was not the one who had to enforce the safety, for she only had to break in.

And she had almost done it, as she climbed on the roofs of the buildings flanking the _Piazza San Marco_.

Crawling over the roof until the palace was in sight, the sun coming up over the horizon, the first rays of dawn dancing over the city.

 _Did it take this long to get here? Better hurry up_.

Taking out her rifle, she chambered a round, the lift-pull-push motion of the bolt action perfected by hours of practice.

A single push on the quick call button of her burner phone ignited the port, and it would be like kicking the hornet's nest.

* * *

As it was, she did not have to wait for long, for the person she looked for came storming outside, a bathrobe thrown on, some of his men following his angry paces.

It was a process, one that could be perfected. Taylor had.

Sighting her target, aiming for the center of mass, pulling the trigger.

The kick of her rifle, the bullet hitting, the blood erupting from his back, as his torso was blown open.

Chamber a new round, aim for a guard. Fire.

It were mere motions. Motion without emotion, only the narrowing of eyes in concentration visible.

The only thing she felt was the kick of the rifle, as the last guard fell, a bullet having pierced his right lung.

Discarding her rifle, she jumped down, to claim the head of her target.

After all, she needed proof of her success.

The two story drop was nothing, and she closed the distance between the Doge's body and herself with ease.

Soon she stood over his body, ribcage blown open, and blood flowing freely over the pavement.

As she swung her sword, the blood stopped flowing.

It started receding, even flowing up to parry her swing.

Spikes of blood formed, trying to stab Taylor who jumped backwards in a dodging action.

"Do you truly think I need a heart if I'm capable of manipulation my own blood?"

Her enemy stood up, his chest knitting back together, and his blood flowing back in.

"Some people need to be creative with their powers, don't you think?"

 **AN:**

I'm not too proud of the time it took to write this chapter. For the rest I think it turned oit quite well. Maybe the initial infiltration wasn't the best.

I hope the Doge seems like a nice OC enemy, let me know what you think.

Criticisms are appreciated.


	4. Chapter 3

**Warning! Excessive Violence Warning!**

Taylor of the Faint Smile

A worm/claymore crossover

 ** **AN at the bottom****

 **Warning! Excessive Violence Warning!**

 **Chapter 3:**

The sun was rising, its soft morning rays dancing over the roofs of Venice, the canal's reflection looking more like molten gold than water. From the harbor came thick clouds of black smoke, the fire not yet being extinguished.

Closer to the historic center, a veteran of many fights stood against a novice, experience ready to lay the smackdown on Taylor's raw power. It was a bit of a standoff, both unwilling to make the first move.

The Doge waited, for an unknown enemy opposed him, and if he waited long enough, maybe his men would come back from the harbor and lend some aid.

Taylor on the other hand knew she had to be fast. Her diversion would not last forever, and the clock was ticking. Sword in hand, she weighed her options.

 _Charge him? No, he has the advantage. But waiting is also playing right into his hand. What to do, what to do._

Her eyes drifted over the surroundings, the Piazza being empty save for some birds and the bodies of a few dead henchmen.

 _No cover, and even if there was, he would know about it. I really made a mistake._

And then it hit, a dawning realisation.

 _The sun is rising, and my sword is polished to a mirror-like sheen_

The corners of her lips curled into a smile as she brought up her sword. Twisting it, Taylor could see the sun's reflection on the buildings behind her opponent moving towards her enemies eyes.

Feeling the little extra strength she pulled from her power coursing through her legs, she finished turning her sword in an abrupt move. The Doge flinched, blinded by the reflected sun, and she jumped, sword in an overhead strike.

He dodged backwards, retaliating with a horizontal swipe of blood.

Crouching, she felt how a lock of hair was cut off. Liquid fire flowing through her veins, she launched herself, intent on stabbing her opponent.

Her sword pierced his stomach, hitting vital organ after vital organ, before severing his spine.

The only reaction was a hammer of blood, striking down from above, with the aim of flattening her.

A jump to the left was how she escaped, before swinging her sword again, this time trying to damage her enemies chest.

She scored a hit, but it was not enough, the majority of the kinetic energy being absorbed by the thin layer of blood over his body.

"Did you truly think you could take me down? You are a fool."

The Doge gloated for a moment, before tentacles of blood erupted from his chest and ripped the sword from her hands.

Throwing it away, he turned to face her.

"Submit, and maybe I'll let you live."

Her answer came in the form of slitted eyes and pronounced veins around her temples.

Taylor charged, parahuman power bringing her to another level, far beyond what any normal human could ever reach. The intent of ripping her enemy to shreds with her bare hands hung in the air.

Gripping his throat, her hand closed like a vise. A low growl escaped her throat, face twisted in rage.

Her other hand flew towards his jaw, his only response fast enough being the widening of his eyes as she found leverage around his jaw bone.

And then she pulled.

Ripping his jaw from his face, the throaty rasp of the Doge was cut off as she crushed his throat with her other hand.

The Doge, mind focussed by pain, reacted, a sharpened slice of blood throwing his assailant out of range.

Skidding a good distance due to the force of the blow, Taylor came to a halt with a sharp snap, evidence of bones breaking on impact, the cut across her stomach throbbing and soiling here previously immaculate bodysuit.

Crawling upright, she threw a look towards her enemy.

And it was not pretty. The tendons of his jaw were hanging loose, jaw no longer present. Eyes showing pain and animalistic fear in the knowledge of having a truly gruesome enemy.

 _He wants to run, but he knows he can't. He knows I'll catch up before he makes his escape._

Spotting her sword, Taylor moved to pick it up, her broken leg protesting every step. It hurt but she felt her wounds closing slowly, still faster than a normal human.

Picking up her sword, she turned towards the Doge, still in his miserable state, seemingly broken by the violence and cruelty she had inflicted upon him.

"This is the end, you see. Any last words? That is, if you can still speak."

Taylor's scathing words were only met with a rasping breath and a trying hand, the Doge not quite accepting his end.

"De-Demone"

The silver arc of the greatsword made an end to his neck, and reign.

* * *

"This is the upper half of his head, and… this is the lower half."

Standing before those she claimed as bosses, Taylor presented her trophies and a beaming smile.

It was the only smile to be found in the room, as everyone else sat with their lips pressed in a thin line.

A sigh of contessa broke the growing silence.

"Taylor, you are dismissed. We will call upon you for your next mission. Please leave the head here."

A dull thump reverberated, as the head fell on the glass tabletop. Spinning on her heel, Taylor walked out, her metal boots surprisingly not clanking on the metal floor.

As the sliding door shushed close, Cauldron deflated.

"That girl is seriously messed in the head."

"You don't say, Rebecca? I thought that you sparred with her? Didn't you see how messed up she was then?"

"I am not a psychologist, David. And even then she did not seemed so messed up then."

"Alexandria, Eidolon, please stop. She was my responsibility, and I judged wrong. I'll give her a less violent mission next time."

"What do you have in mind?" It was the first time Doctor Mother had spoken in this conversation, and all around the table sat straight.

"Rebecca said there was something stirring in Brockton Bay, wasn't it?"

"Yes, ever since Canberra, Armsmaster has been in revalidation. The gangs are getting restless."

"Send her in as a hero? Bolster the Protectorate? Was Brockton going to be the Cape feudalism experiment?"

"Numbers, I understand your concern, I'm not going to send her in as a hero. She'll have two assignments. The first is finding out if Panacea can do more than heal, and if yes, guard her, and the second is the advancing of our experiment in Brockton Bay.

This course of action good for all of us?"

Four slight nods were the answer.

 **"** And anger management therapy."

* * *

 **AN:** This took ages, and I'm still not sure. So i decide to just put it out there, just to advance the plot. Long roads and first steps.  
Also, orginal timeline is all over the place. Just think that the accident happened on the day Taylor originally triggered.


End file.
